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Overview

Just Go!

Welcome to RIT Global, your resource for study abroad and international fellowships. With over 400 programs in 50 countries, there is usually a study abroad program for students of every major. RIT Global offers four types of study abroad programs: Gateways, Global Campuses, Faculty-led and Affiliate. Gateway programs are RIT customized programs that are usually major specific. Our global campus programs allow students to directly enroll in one of RIT’s overseas campuses in Dubrovnik & Zagreb (Croatia), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Pristina (Kosovo). Faculty-led programs are generally major specific and are designed and executed by an RIT faculty member who leads a group of students overseas. Finally, Affiliate programs run through RIT partner organizations. It is important to understand the type of programs you are interested in because each has different benefits for different students and each may have a unique application process.

Getting Started

Get started by creating a profile on the Compass. Use your RIT DCE and password to sign in. Search program offerings by location, your major or by the term you would like to study abroad. Once you’ve narrowed down the choices to two or three, make an appointment with a Study Abroad Advisor by coming to our office, emailing goabroad@rit.edu or by calling 585-475-4466.

Read the Essential Study Abroad Questions for more information about programs, registration, billing, grading and more. If you have any other questions, email goabroad@rit.edu.

Questions

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Essential Study Abroad Questions

What types of programs are offered?

There are four types of programs offered by RIT Global: Gateways, Global Campus, Faculty-Led programs or Affiliated. For detailed descriptions of these programs please visit the types of programs page. Gateway programs are RIT customized programs that are usually major specific. Global Campus programs take place at RIT’s international campuses located in Dubrovnik & Zagreb (Croatia), Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Pristina (Kosovo). Faculty-led programs are completely designed and developed by an RIT faculty member, who leads a group of students on a program abroad. The location, duration and course offerings of the program depend on the interest and expertise of the faculty member. A student enrolling in a Gateways, Global Campus or Faculty-Led program will pay RIT tuition and earn RIT credits. Affiliated programs are managed through RIT's partnerships with other universities and organizations to enhance the variety of locations and course offerings available to you. Students participating in an affiliate program will pay the tuition amount determined by the partner and will earn overseas credits that will be transferred back to RIT.

Can I receive credit for study abroad?

Yes. All students who study abroad on a program approved by RIT will be eligible to earn academic credit.

Will the credit count towards my degree?

You will need to discuss with your academic advisors if and how the credit will count towards your degree. Students will need to complete a course pre-approval form to determine how credit will be applied to their degree. You will obtain a course pre-approval form when you meet with the study abroad Advisor.

When can I go abroad? For how long can I go?

Typically most students go abroad in their sophomore or junior year, but you can apply to study abroad as early as spring semester of your freshman year. Programs vary in length and range from short term summer programs of a few weeks to a full academic year. Most students study abroad for one semester at a time and the summer semester is the most popular.

How much does study abroad cost?

The cost of studying abroad varies depending on the program. In general, you will pay tuition, an administration fee, a program fee (which typically covers housing, excursions, local transportation, visa fees, etc) and out-of-pocket expenses such as your flight, food and spending money. Your exact fees will be detailed on a budget worksheet given to you by a study abroad advisor or faculty-director. In most cases, students are eligible for financial aid if they maintain full-time status overseas. We suggest you do additional research on things such as flight costs, travel costs within your host country, travel costs to other areas you would like to visit while abroad and daily living expenses. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment with their financial aid advisor to discuss the budget worksheet and a potential aid package.

Does my financial aid apply to study abroad?

As long as you maintain full time status of 12 semester credits, financial aid will apply in most cases. Specific financial aid questions are best addressed on a student-by-student basis, so after obtaining a budget worksheet from either RIT Global or the faculty director leading the program, please contact the Financial Aid Office to set up an appointment with your financial aid counselor.

When and how do I pay for Study Abroad?

Once you've been accepted to a program, you are responsible for paying the required deposit (amount varies for every program) directly to the affiliate or RIT. The affiliate school bills RIT for the cost of the program, minus the deposit paid, and RIT will bill your student account directly. Payment is made to RIT just as if you were taking classes on campus, only the amount will be based on the affiliate charges, not RIT tuition. RIT then pays the affiliate. Students attending a Gateway, RIT Global Campus or a faculty led program will be charged RIT tuition and a program fee directly to the student account.

To find out the costs of the program(s) you are interested in, please make an appointment with the study abroad Advisor by calling 585-475-4466 to obtain the Budget Worksheet for the program(s) you are interested in. The budget worksheets include a breakdown of all fees and tuition charges, as well as, an estimate of personal costs you may incur while abroad.

Can I receive Scholarships to study abroad?

Many affiliate programs have scholarships available, so speak to your provider for more information about these. Some may have a separate application process, so make sure to find out about the process and any deadlines. RIT Global also has resources available for you to research and apply for scholarships to assist with the cost of study abroad. For more information, visit the Felowships section.

How does registration and grading work for study abroad?

For students attending a global campus program, students will be registered by a member of the global program staff for actual RIT courses and will receive letter grades. These grades will be counted in a student's GPA. For students studying abroad on faculty-led programs, the faculty director or administrator in the faculty director's college will register students for actual RIT courses and students will receive letter grades. These grades will be counted in the student's GPA. For students studying abroad on affiliated programs, they will be registered for all study abroad credits in one course number with a title based on the country they are going to, for example "Study Abroad Italy" for 12 credits. After the program is over the overseas institution will send a detailed transcript with each course taken abroad and corresponding letter grade to Study Abroad & Fellowships. Study Abroad & Fellowships will complete the RIT paperwork necessary to apply the Pass or Fail grade. Student must earn at least a C in order to have a Passing grade. Passing grades will not be counted in the student's GPA, however, failing grades will.

How immersed in the culture will I be?

Our programs offer varying levels of cultural immersion and the student should choose a program based on the immersion level that is most comfortable for them. Less immersive programs are typically shorter, offer courses taught in English and students live with other study abroad students. More immersive programs are typically longer, may allow options for living with local students or in a home stay and include some or all classes in the local language or in study of the local language.

How do I apply for study abroad through RIT?

Complete your profile and online application on The Compass and then schedule an appointment with our study abroad Advisor. There may be a second application required depending on the program chosen; if so, this will be discussed during your appointment.

Where can I go to find out more about study abroad?

For your convenience, RIT Global is open every day from 9:00am until 4:00 pm. We are located in Global Village Building 400 room 2070 in the Constellation Commons for Global Learning on the second level of Global Village above The Cantina & Grille. Our Study Abroad Advisors are happy to meet with students who would like to learn more about Study Abroad or who are ready to begin the application process. Please make an appointment to meet with our Study Abroad Advisor by calling (585) 475 - 4466.

If you need an interpreter, please contact myaccess.rit.edu to request one. Before your advising appointment, you must have completed your profile on The Compass. If you are more than 10 minutes late to your appointment, we will have to ask you to reschedule.

Our office environment is generally informal and you may feel free to call our staff by our first names.

Visit our Facebook page for all upcoming Information Sessions, Study Abroad Fairs, assorted faculty-led programs and scholarships. Browse our blogs, photos and videos (to the left) to see what our RIT students have been up to around the world.

If I am deaf or hard of hearing, what access services will be available to me on a study abroad program?

Requests for access service support are handled on a case by case basis. It is strongly recommended to request services early to increase your chances of receiving services. Other determining factors include, but are not limited to, the dates of the program and the ability to find access service staff/contacts who have the specific skill sets required. For more information or to place service request, please contact Chris Felo at cdfdis@rit.edu.

Can I study abroad on a program not affiliated with RIT?

Yes, but you will not be able to be billed and registered at RIT during your time abroad. This will make you ineligible for RIT financial aid and may affect your health insurance if you need to prove full time enrollment as a student to stay on your current plan. It is also strongly recommended that you talk with the Registrar's Office and your academic advisor to ensure that your credits earned while abroad will transfer back and count towards your degree and that this conversation is documented in writing. Please check the Independent Study Abroad section under the types of programs page for step-by-step instructions.

If you are an RIT student that has or plans to blog while abroad, let us know! Email us at global@rit.edu.

Photos

Assorted Study Abroad Photos

These are photos submitted from our students traveling all over the world over the past few years. Check them out and get inspired!

Tigers Abroad Photos

Tigers Abroad is a quarterly photo contest for RIT study abroad students. Each student is given a small stuffed tiger when they attend their mandatory pre-departure meeting and are tasked with taking pictures of their tiger in the most beautiful and creative places they encounter on their travels. Three winners are chosen each quarter and then compete for a grand prize.

Study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark! Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) is an RIT-approved partner organization specializing in over 23 academic programs including: Architecture & Design, Furniture Design, Health Sciences, Game Development and International Business. Student Information Session:Wednesday, April 1st3:00-4:00 pmRIT Global (Global Village 400, above Salsaritas)If you need an interpreter, please request one at myaccess.rit.edu. This is a RIT Only event.

IES Abroad is a new RIT-approved partner organization that offers more than 130 academic programs in 21 countries.Learn more at a student info. table:Tuesday, April 7th1:30-3:30 pmOutside Java's (in the Wallace Center's lobby)If you need an interpreter, please request one at myaccess.rit.edu. This is a RIT Only event.